Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-24672

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to equip ambulance crews with a video link to hospitals.

Question reference: S6W-24340

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the current social care workforce is female.

Question reference: S6W-25049

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach Paper and the Vessels and Ports Plan.

I am pleased to announce that the Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach paper and the Vessel and Ports Plan were published today alongside a public consultation.

These documents and the consultation questions are available at the following link:

Islands Connectivity Plan | Transport Scotland

I would encourage islanders and all those with an interest in ferries and wider island transport connectivity to respond to the consultation which will run until 3 May 2024. This will be supported by a number of public events by Transport Scotland officials starting in late February.

Question reference: S6W-24549

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to train physician associates and anaesthesia associates in each of the last five financial years.

Employment of Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) and Physician Associates (PAs) is the responsibility of individual NHS Scotland Boards who receive funding from the Scottish Government. In the case of AAs, it is open to Boards to employ and support these individuals for the duration of their training as a way of building clinical capacity. There have been no nationally funded programmes to grow the AA and PA workforce over the last five financial years.

We will work with NHS Education for Scotland and continue to review the merits associated with a subsidised educational offer for trainee AAs and PAs in Scotland, building on models adopted elsewhere in the UK, as we progress with an evidence-based approach to the expansion of Medical Associate Profession roles across NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-24697

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve mental health waiting times for young people, in light of reported figures showing that at least one patient in NHS Ayrshire and Arran waited 91 weeks before their first child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) appointment.

The latest statistics show that 75.6% of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) patients started treatment within 18 weeks of their referral. At Board level, 13 out of 14 CAMHS services have effectively eliminated their long waiting lists where 3% or fewer of all waits are over a year.

We regularly engage with Boards at official level, continually monitoring CAMHS waiting times performance and backlogs and directing tailored support to those Boards with the longest waits, including NHS Ayrshire and Arran. We provide access to professional advice, ensuring they have robust improvement plans in place and monitor their implementation.

We have commissioned all Boards to submit performance trajectories up to March 2024, including a timeline for clearing long waits. These will be updated annually and used to inform further targeted improvement work to ensure all Boards consistently meet the CAMHS waiting times standard.

Question reference: S6W-24701

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to increasing its support for cancer patients, in light of reported figures from the cancer care charity, Maggie's, stating that 40% of people with cancer in the UK have used annual leave for their appointments.

The Scottish Government has been working in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to improve the support offered to those affected by cancer through the Transforming Cancer Care Programme (TCC) since 2016. This partnership - the first of its kind in the UK - has seen £18 million invested to date. Both the Scottish Government and Macmillan Cancer Support have committed to a further £4.5 million investment each over the next 3 years.

This will ensure that every patient with cancer in Scotland has access to a specialist key support worker, who can provide emotional, financial and practical support.

Cancer is classified as a disability under the Equality Act 2010. Although the Act is a reserved matter, we would expect employers to adopt the Scottish Government’s Fair Work approach, including flexible working practices, to support employees affected by cancer.

Question reference: S6W-24712

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that NHS boards have been asked to pause spending on capital projects, when the National Treatment Centre for NHS Grampian is expected to become operational.

As set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. That has inevitably led to some difficult decisions on what capital projects will be progressed.

The Scottish Government will bring forward a revised pipeline of infrastructure investment in the spring, alongside the medium-term financial strategy, at which point we would hope that the fiscal outlook will be clearer.

Question reference: S6W-24338

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether social care staff can reach pay equity with those in the public sector by the Fair Work Nation deadline of 2025, in light of it offering £12 per hour to not-for-profit social care and support staff in its Budget.

The Scottish Government has a long-standing commitment to the principles of Fair-Work as we recognise and value the work that the social care sector do.

We are committed to lifting standards for adult social care workers and for those people who are in receipt of care, which is why we have increased spending within the sector.

The £12 minimum pay-rate from April 2024 for Adult Social Care workers represents a 14.3% increase for these workers in the last two years; with pay rising from at least £10.50 per hour in April 2022.

We have continued to progress a number of key projects to take forward and improve Fair Work principles, which will not only improve the current experience of the workforce, but also help to attract and retain new staff into the workforce.

Question reference: S6O-03084

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support will be put in place to assist local authorities in establishing "areas of linguistic significance", as set out in the Scottish Languages Bill.

The Member has provided the following Gaelic translation:

Gus faighneachd do Riaghaltas na h-Alba de an taic a bhios ann do dh'ughdarrasan ionadail a tha airson àitichean a tha "sònraichte a thaobh chànain" a stèidheachadh, mar a chaidh a chuir an làthair ann am Bile nan Cànan Albannach.

Question reference: S6O-03083

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all legal predator control is carried out in a way that is consistent with best practice in animal welfare standards.